“Girlfriend?” he asked with a bemused grin, and Florian scowled.
“No, I'm gay,” he said dryly, and Jerah's grin dropped. “I said that already. Nadia's my friend.”
“Right,” Jerah replied, glancing away. He opened his mouth wordlessly a few times, as if trying to find the words before speaking. “I, um, I do remember you saying that now. I apologize. That's, um, that's fine—there's no, uh…” He gestured helplessly for a moment. “That is to say, where we come from, there's no, ah, prejudice on that sort of basis the way there can be on Earth.”
“Great,” Florian said with more bluntness than he had intended, the awkward tension between them palpable in the air. He sighed and studied his father, who was looking pointedly back down at his book, but was clearly not reading. “Really, that's good to hear, I guess. I'm... Looking forward to seeing it for myself.”
Jerah managed to give a small smile in response. “I'm excited for you to see it, too. It's a lovely place, at least the places that are left.”
Florian wasn't sure how to respond. All this talk about a Nova Blight, and how only some parts of the world were habitable... He was unsure what any of it meant, or of what to expect once they arrived. But asking about it seemed just as difficult. He supposed he would find out soon enough.
The rest of the boat ride was uneventful. Jerah continued to read, though Florian couldn't make out any details on the cover—if anything, it looked like a plain, black leather notebook. Kade sat silently behind them, but Florian was sure he was keeping careful watch and listening close. Even in the short time he had known these two, it had become apparent that Kade was wholly committed to protecting Jerah—from what, or who, though, was a different question entirely. Another question he wanted to ask, but couldn't find the words. Maybe that too would become more apparent in time.
Eventually, when he looked through the viewing windows that surrounded the sitting area on all sides, he could see the island in the distance. He stood back up to watch as the island grew larger and larger, though he didn't go back outside again, keenly aware of Kade's eyes on him as he moved. Better to stay where they could keep an eye on him than somewhere he'd have to follow. The ferry slowed as they approached the dock; people were starting to mill about, getting ready to disembark, so he went back to where he had been sitting to grab his backpack.
“Know where we're going once we're off?” he asked, and Jerah smirked.
“Of course,” he replied, standing. “Kade, ready to go?”
“Yes,” Kade replied, appearing at Jerah's side, as if he'd been there all along. Their eyes met briefly, and Florian looked away, feeling his face flush with heat. Why did he always look sointense?
“Lead the way,” Florian stammered, gesturing for Jerah to go ahead. The man had a bemused grin on his face, peeking over his sunglasses at the two of them; but he strode forward without remark, and Florian followed him closely to avoid having to be behind Kade.
They filed off the boat, squeezing through the crowd until they were on land once more. The sun was high in the sky with barely any clouds in sight, the ocean just as bright a blue around them. A few different paths led away from the ferry terminal, but Jerah walked on with confidence, as surefooted as if he had made the same trip a hundred times before. Maybe he had, Florian thought.
“How often do you make this trip?” he asked, quickening his pace to better match Jerah's longer strides.
“Hmm,” he said, pursing his lips. “Well, it's much safer to travel this way than to try and travel through the Blight. I don't have to travel much, but I'd say, oh... two or three times a year? I try to keep in close contact with Kade's family. We have a strong alliance. The other clans, not so much, but occasionally I'll go to them. They aren't as keen on traveling to me.”
Jerah hesitated, and Florian thought that he was considering whether to say more. “Things will be easier to explain once we're there. Don't want to say too much in front of eavesdroppers who may not understand, you know.” He gave Florian a knowing glance, but he could only guess as to what Jerah meant. He had already said humans couldn't travel into the Veil, so what did it matter if someone overheard? They would think that they had misheard, or that it was something unfamiliar, or that they were all nuts. But Jerah seemed concerned, so he didn’t press.
“How far is it?” Florian asked, taking in his surroundings. They were on a concrete walkway with the hills of Catalina all around them and a few buildings in the distance—he knew there was a hotel somewhere around here—but wherever they were going didn't seem readily apparent.
“Well, I've got to get us our hiking permits,” Jerah chuckled, shaking his head. “Then we'll hike up the hill. It's hard to describe, but I know exactly where it is.”
Florian shrugged. That seemed as good an answer as any. They walked in silence for a little while longer, Florian's pace slowing a bit so he fell evenly between Jerah ahead and Kade behind him. He didn't quite feel nervous, exactly, but there was an underlying uneasiness that came with being around either of them—though for very different reasons.
Jerah came to a stop in front of a small building that looked like a tourist center. He turned back to face them and said, “I'll get our hiking permits. You two wait out here.”
“Why?” Florian asked, frowning, but Jerah had already turned to walk into the building. Kade had stopped next to him, waiting obediently. With a sigh, he took an awkward step away from Kade, scuffing his boot on the dirt path as they waited.
“Florian,” Kade said, grabbing his attention. He had not expected to be addressed so directly.
“Y-yeah?” Florian asked, trying not to look away under the intensity of his gaze. Kade was silent for a moment, as if considering his words before continuing.
“Thank you for coming with us,” he finally said. “I know Jerah said it already, but this means a lot to him. To all of us.”
“Well, like I said,” Florian replied nervously, wilting under the heavy words. “I just wanted to see. All this stuff about a prophecy or whatever... I don't know about any of that.”
Kade's head tilted slightly, not at all unlike a dog's, but he remained silent for a long moment. “The Veil is a beautiful place,” he finally said, a bit softer now. “Even just in the Winter Court, there’s a lot to see. Maybe if you stay for a little while, I can show you some of the best spots.”
Florian's face was well and truly burning now, and he looked down at his feet in embarrassment. He didn'twantto like this guy, but every glimpse behind the stoic and silent face he'd kept up was endearing. His handsome face didn't help, either.
“That sounds nice,” he heard himself blurt out, barely audible over the pounding of blood in his ears. When he glanced back up, Kade’s eyes were fixed on the horizon, but his lips had twitched into a tiny, amused grin. He seemed... pleased with himself?
Florian didn't have long to dwell on whateverthatmeant, as just then Jerah emerged from the automatic door of the visitor center with three squares of paper in his hand.
“We're all set,” he said with a grin. “Let's head up the mountain.”
